Prisoner
by SapphireTrafficker
Summary: The Vietnam War was never something that people wanted to remember, especially to the people that had experienced it. Being a therapist was never an easy job because they have to experience enough in order to show empathy. Will it help if the soldiers sought a therapist that had gone through the same with them?
1. Beginning

Introduction

Percy, Jason and Nico were three of the many conscripted men that went to Vietnam to fight in the Vietnam war for two years. They came back traumatized to different levels and degrees of severeness.

Annabeth was a world class therapist as she was famous for dealing with all kinds of psychological, emotional and sentimental issues, though she did not prefer patients approaching her for relationship advices. As Piper's best friend — who was also the long term girlfriend of Jason — had been worried about the three boys ever since they flew back, she was asked to help the three boys and 'heal' them.

Refusing to take the three boys in as patients due to her own personal experiences in the past decade, Annabeth told Piper resolutions to help Jason and Nico recover. As Piper insisted her to take Percy under her wings for observations, since he got affected the most, Annabeth agreed reluctantly.

Using the method she had always used on every first-time patients, she observed Percy's every movement, realizing that he did not have a situation nor under any circumstances similar to any patients she had ever had. This vexed her. She knew it was going to be a challenge for her to help them because her own problems were slowly surfacing… They had a lot of similarities in histories in the pasts, they need each other to aid their healing, but getting along wasn't the easiest thing. So...

* * *

 **Verse 1**

"I said I'd think about it." Annabeth repeated for the last time before standing up to deposit her plate into the sink.

"But-"

"I know, Piper, you are worried, but in all honesty, there is nothing I can do to help." Annabeth's patience was wearing thin with each explanation she gave.

"Then who am I to go? You're my best friend, and you are the world-class therapist, every psychotherapist craved for your attention and your advice." Piper, for the first time, pushed her luck with Annabeth.

"Best friend or not, world-class or not, I am still a human being Piper." Annabeth tried her best to suppress her anger. "I cannot fix every single person in the world that has a problem."

"But you have dealt with traumas before."

"Trauma, is a state of shock, Piper, different people are in different degree. I didn't heal them, because I cannot, I do not have the ability to get rid of the traumas like puff."

"But they healed didn't they?" Piper was getting more and more confused. As a fashion designer who worked with well-known models, she was never a person to face the dark side of human life.

"No, no traumas can be healed fully. Even if they appeared to be fully recovered, it was only their way to cope with it. A trauma as serious as your boyfriend's and his friends, are hard to cope with, the pain they went through will be easily reminded by simple small things around them." Annabeth felt like she was done educating her best friend, her explanation would only get her deeper and deeper. "War traumas are the worst type Piper, you haven't experienced it, so it is hard to show empathy."

"You have haven't you? You used to be a battlefield reporter."

"That was not enough, my experiment is merely enough to conjure an empathy link between myself and your guys'." Sensing Piper's anxiousness rising, Annabeth decided to tell her something hopeful and could potentially help if it was executed properly. "I promise I will take their cases under my roof once you ran out of solutions, but for now, Piper, from the descriptions I heard from you, I can give you simple instructions and advice, but I can do nothing more."

"That would be enough for now." Piper perked up, hope glint of hope shone in her kaleidoscope orbs.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Percy used to be the foot soldier, the infantryman that searched the villages and kills innocent villagers. Nico used to be a signal corp soldier. Jason, your long-term boyfriend, was the pilot that spreads chemicals on the ground. Yes?" Piper confirmed with a nod. "Since Jason is your boyfriend, and you are still in a stable relationship, making him better is your job. He doesn't need therapy, he needs you."

"How?"

"You will learn that once you started to help him. It's not hard, because from what I heard, he has the lightest trauma compared to his other two pals." Piper nodded hesitantly. "Just believe in yourself and have faith in Jason, you love him and he loves you, everything you do will eventually help him."

"Then what about Nico and Percy?"

"Nico and Percy can use some therapy, but not me. You can schedule that for them individually. They must not attend any session under any circumstances together."

Piper nodded, yet again, not sure what to do. She still had no idea how to help the three boys.

"Vietnam war is nearing to an end. I can see that day coming. And I am sorry to know that your boys are conscripted. Keep me updated and I will do my best to help. I need to get going now." Annabeth said farewell to her best friend, who was now drowning in her own agony and forgetting the fact that this friend in front of her had suffered the same as the three boys.

It was a sunny afternoon, with the warm humid breeze blowing from the ocean, the usually noisy beach was not at all loud today. Dragging her surf board along the sand, leaving a trail behind her, Annabeth let her blond curls flew freely as the wind struck her face softly. As an amateur, she wasn't at all caring what the others would think of her if she didn't hold her board the way vast majority would; she was herself; she was Annabeth Chase, who were you to judge?

On the other side of the beach, in the middle an umbrella was set up with a pair of foldable deck chairs under it, beside the chairs was a mat neatly smoothed out on the sand, half in the shades formed by the huge umbrella. Sitting on one of the deck chairs was a woman in her bikini, sipping a cup of cool drink, a fashion magazine on her flat stomach. Beside her laid a young man with a head of golden blonde hair. Annabeth let her eyes wondered around the rather empty beach — compared to other times, it had been busier — she allowed her eyes to station on the four in the middle. Knowing that staring was impolite and rude, but she couldn't help but to keep her eyes fixed on the three men that had surrounded a woman under the umbrella subtly. Without really focusing on where she was heading, she walked towards the sea in a general direction while remaining to gawk at the small group. They look utterly familiar to her, especially the brunette girl that was under the spotlight.

Letting go of her surf board and pretending to busy herself with the surf when a man with the raven black hair looked up in her direction. Annabeth couldn't be sure whether if the guy had caught her staring gaze, nor did she want to be spotted. Busying herself with the board as she was ready to set off, just waiting for the wave and for the right timing. She didn't even notice two figures that were approaching her with amusement.

"Hey babe." One of the two guys that were walking towards her flirted. The spoken guy had a hair browner than the raven black hair one. She sucked in a breath noticing that they were the ones that looked in her direction. Behind the sunglasses, she wasn't sure the expression from both men. Looking up at them responding to the call that she could only assume was aimed at her. Raising an eyebrow, she made not sound.

"Wanna come for a drink?" The raven hair said. Annabeth was even more confused, not sure what to decide. She wanted to know who was the girl that was sitting under the umbrella that looked so familiar to her; yet, on the other hand, she didn't want to be lured into a trap of two strongly built men. But before she could open her mouth, the brown hair beat her to it in a surprised questioning yelp.

"Annabeth?" Altering her sight from the raven hair to the guy who had just pulled off his shades, her gaze slowly travelled to the pair of dark brown eyes that were emerging from behind the sunglasses. Her expression hardened, then turned dumbstruck. Her mouth left slightly ajar as she wasn't sure how and what to respond to the sudden recognition.

"Ni- Nico?" She mouthed. His eyes caught the movement of her lips and nodded gloomily, his lips tightened into a straight line as a pain struck expression flashed in his eyes like he was attacked by horrible memories of his past. "What- are you doing here?" She staggered, her speech was no longer easing; her tone sounded stiff.

"Is this the chick that you met during your time there?" Nico's friend, the raven hair beside him, asked, taking Annabeth's attention off the shock for awhile. Nico nodded, glancing at his friend then back at Annabeth.

Sensing that there wasn't much to talk about, Annabeth decided to make her move. "It's nice seeing you again Nic." She greeted farewell in a strained voice and picked up her board that was now attached to her ankle. Eyeing the guy next to Nico, who was narrowing his eyes at Annabeth and analyzing her behind those dark shades, the friend that Nico was about to introduce, Annabeth walked into the water, letting the water soothe her unsettling stomach.

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" Annabeth stopped and turned to the source of the call. She only stopped because it came out in a feminine pitch, so she could only assume it was the group under the umbrella earlier. She didn't know that they were still there; thinking that she was the last one to leave the beach before the call, Annabeth slowed her steps and waited for the caller to catch up on her.

When the caller got closer, she suppressed a surprised shout and said in her usual tone. "Hey Piper, not expecting you to stay till this time."

"Yeah, well I'm just surprised to see Percy and Nico approaching you this afternoon, so I think maybe I should know what happened?" She asked, her voice full of uncertainty.

"Nico's older sister, Bianca, used to work with me as battlefield journalists." Annabeth paused, pondering whether it was a good time to tell the story or not. Scanning what was around her as she progressed slowly up the hill with Piper to their respective vehicles. At last, she sighed and decided to tell her about it. "Nico doesn't really like me at this stage, it will be even harder for him to know that you are my friend and I am a therapist."

"Why?" Piper asked with a dumbfounded gaze in her eyes.

"Because… He" Annabeth looked down to the ground, feeling the rush of guilt flushing over her body once again, this was what happened every time she was brought to think or talk about the topic.

"You don't have to say it you know? The boys probably want me back now, too." Piper patted her arm sympathetically and stepped away after receiving the slightest nod from Annabeth, she looked up with a pained expression and waved her goodbye.

"Meet me in central park tomorrow after your shift." Annabeth called after her, Piper turned back to give her a thumbs up, telling her that it was a deal.

Shouldering her handbag, Annabeth locked the door of her clinic. Checking the time from her phone, there was still time before her scheduled meet with Piper in central park. She decided to take a stroll to the central park instead of taking a cab, although she knew that would make her running a little late, but in the end, she was the one who called up this meeting, so it was _her_ that would be talking and not Piper.

Annabeth had always enjoyed the sound of nature, even if it was the loud honk from the cars soaring down the street, or from the screeching sound of tires scrunching on the floor from a sharp break. She would only put on music when she was in the shower sometimes or occasionally when she was working out or on her morning run.

Enjoying the views of the buildings that was left behind by her as she walked by, admiring the different architectural designs, recalling the history of some of the old architects with their projects. Checking the time again, she turned sharply into a quiet alleyway — a short cut to the meeting place.

A few meters deep inside the alley, she saw three people walking side-by-side, their silhouette strangely familiar. Something struck her, they were the three friends of Piper, Jason, Nico and Percy. Cussing inwardly, she ducked her head and sped walked past them as she neared them. Silently crossing her fingers praying that she wouldn't be spotted. Replaying in her mind with only one word 'ignore', telling herself to ignore everything they called and they wouldn't find out who she was.

Her fate was just bitter and rough. As she sped walked down the narrow lane with garbage visible in every corner, she almost bumped straight into a rubbish bin if not for her swift agile move to avoid uncovering her identity to the three boys behind her. She only turned her head back ever so slightly after she walked past the trash can just to check and make sure that none of her clothing had made contact with the tin. But that turn had given her away.

"Chase?" Nico's icy cold voice came from behind her, sending chills down her spine. It was hard for someone to ignore their name when it was been called. Annabeth stopped and turned around, but then remembered her mission, she turned back and proceed to her target in the central park that was just within her eyesight. As she hurried down the rest of the lane, she heard urgent footsteps, which meant the three boys were closing on her. Realizing that she might have no choice but to stop and face them, she turned back abruptly, nearly making the three boys crash into her.

"Yes Nico." She responded in the same coolness. "What do you want? My life?"

"No." He answered. "I want you to suffer." He said through gritted teeth. It had been a long time since Annabeth seen him in this state. Apparently the other two boys didn't know about the situation and relationship between her and Nico, who was now standing face-to-face with her, or perhaps, nose-to-nose. Breathing hotly down at her. "You know what this place brings me?

"Memories." Annabeth replied coldly. "I've been very clear to you already…" She continued with the same coolness before he could say anything.

"No, you don't understand." He hissed, cutting off whatever Annabeth was starting. "None of you would." His two friends circled in closer to have a better hearing at the conversation that sounded ever so secret.

"Then what do you want from me?" She still remained calmness in her voice as she spoke, fully aware of the other two men that formed a semi-circle around her with Nico.

"'s she troubling you?" The blonde, who Annabeth recognized as Jason, asked, checking her out on the other hand. Nico waved him off, telling him that this was nothing.

"Yo slut, what the fuck d'you want?" The raven hair, who Annabeth was now certain the name of, Percy, taunted from the side.

Knowing briefly about their background, Annabeth knew that this small abandoned alley brought back memories of the war they attended in Vietnam. Hearing her phone ring, she wanted to pick it up, but her body was restraining her from doing so. Her limbs were no longer listening to her brain. Her gaze fixed on the three boys that were towering over her. Suddenly, she was struck by her own nightmares. Those traumas that she tried to dealt on her own and put past her all came flooding back all at once. She wasn't able to control them like they normally could; she had no control over what kind of image was her brain showing to her, everything that she went through, every dark corners hidden deep inside her came out into view, displaying everything that she dreaded ever since coming back to America.

She understood the boys, the place was gray, which meant abandonment, which was where enemies were hidden. Chemical weapons were mostly likely used. Images of herself in Vietnam came back into her mind. Her phone kept ringing off, but she couldn't seem to register the meaning of the tune. Numbly, she walked towards the wall closet to her. Not thinking of hygienic considerations, she stared ahead vacantly. However, only her eyes were void, her mind was now filled with pictures. Her experience in Vietnam would haunt her and it would last for a life time. The only solution was to learn to cope with it and control it.

Now that she knew. Annabeth knew that was exactly what the boys needed; but she also knew that she wasn't the one to tell them. No one was to tell them what to think or how to bear the pain, they'd had to figure it out themselves with hints guiding them. Compared to what Percy and Jason had been through, her history had been nothing. Nico, living in agony, and part of it was because of her. She was finally ready to tell her story to Piper, that was why she asked her to meet her in central park, but she never knew that she couldn't make it.

"You're not the one to go insane Chase." Nico's stone-cold voice cut through her thought, lowering the temperature in her imagination, making her flashbacks more vivid and real. "You have not a single rights to do that."

Annabeth knew arguing wouldn't do any of them any good, but many years of experience in the army told her that not fighting back meant showing weaknesses and giving up; and a qualified troop would never surrender. "If I have no rights, then you certainly don't have the rights to accuse me of something that I can't control."

"You don't talk to him like that." Percy shoved Annabeth onto the wall that she was already leaning on after hearing the tone coming out of her that was aimed at Nico.

"Or what?"

"Or you will not be walking out of this place alive." Jason cornered her with a raised fist, ready to throw a punch at her face in anytime.

"You have no idea what he had been through." Percy spat in her face.

"Oh like you have." Annabeth snapped.

"You're the reason why I'm like this." Nico growled from the side. "If you haven't-"

"If I haven't what?" Pushing the two guys aside with immense strength that she had conjured out of her extreme anger and frustration, standing in front of Nico once again. "If I haven't paired up with her? If I didn't choose to protect Bianca and soak myself with the blood of other people?"

"Don't you dare say her name."

"I have every right to say whatever I wish to say."

"She could've still be alive if you've given her your gun."

"And watch me die?" She snorted angrily. "I highly doubt that she would be able to fend off the enemy with her shooting ability."

"You underestimated her, and don't you dare speak lowly of her." He demanded, dead seriously. Pulling out a gun from his back pocket under his shirt in slow motion, meanwhile not breaking the intense eye contact with Annabeth. "You killed her. You have her blood on your hands."

"I have more than just her blood on my hands. Those blood belonged to the people I killed trying to protect her." She argued, stepping closer at Nico who had already pointed a gun at her head.

"Say another word and you will regret it." He growled.

"Pull the trigger and you will regret it." She mocked in the same tone, however, her eyes were not focused on Nico nor his expression, it was more on the gun that was pointing at her.

Nico's finger moved, his knuckle turned white due to his strong grip on the handle. Annabeth didn't flinch a bit when she noticed the movement of his fingers. She just stared with her fearless poker face. Nico shut his eyes close and bit his bottom lip, he pulled the trigger.

At the same time the trigger was pulled, a rock flew towards the gun and hit right on Nico's tight grip on the gun handle. A yell of pain along with the sound of the gun hitting the floor was everything that echoed, the voice bounced off the empty walls on the sides of the alleyway. Nico turned to find the attacker in rage, he held his other hand that was bleeding.

"I don't want to witness another death, innocent or not." Percy stated calmly, another stone in his hand, suggestively for backup incase the first stone didn't hit the target. His explanation was so short, yet so powerful due to the way he had said it. Jason stood next to him, still in a trance, in the state of shock. Overcoming it gradually, he stepped up to check the wound on Nico's hand.

"The gun wasn't even loaded." Annabeth muttered, but sent an appreciated look at Percy nonetheless. To a soldier, anything in action would be more sincere than everything verbal, and Annabeth understood that deeply.

* * *

 **A/N: This is a short song fiction inspired by the song by the American rock band, _The Pretty Reckless_ , _Prisoner_ from their newest album. Each chapter will be short and there will only be three chapters in total. Since it is a very short story, each chapter is no longer called a chapter, they will be called verses, just like in poetry.**

 **If you are a PJO fan, there is also an M-Rated story by me, called _Love Can Be Frightening_ , it is long and it is a one-shot. Here's a very very small section from it just to hook you'all up:**

 _"Ladies first." Annabeth said, gesturing for the guy to go out first. She meant it as a joke and it was something that she always play with her friends._

 _The guy laughed and walked out._

 _"What a gentleman." He greeted before turning to his private elevator leading to his penthouse. Annabeth laughed, relieved that he got her joke and kidded back._

 **The next update of this story will be up soon (that is, if I am satisfied with the reaction I got).**

 ** _How I Greet My Boyfriend_ will have another chapter posted if I have reviews, favorites and follows for the story _Love Can Be Frightening_. Go to my profile for updates and for finding stories written by me.**


	2. Middle

**Verse 2**

"I have been in Vietnam as a journalist reporting the war for ten whole years, Bianca was only one of the girl that I worked with. It wasn't my duty to protect her, it was Luke's job to protect the reporters. Before the we decided to get fully involved in this bloody combat, I had no one to trust, no one to protect me, do you think I didn't try to give up my job?"

Annabeth's out burst had surprised the four sitting cozily on the couch. "But you shouldn't be a therapist, because your experience made you a person that find suppressing emotions hard." Piper said calmly.

"You think I want to do that?" Annabeth raised her voice at her friend, it was the first time Piper had seen her do that. "I knew I can't, my early life had sculptured me into a weak useless piece of crap. I don't even want to live my life after coming back. But I did this just to fulfill Bianca's wish okay?" She glowered at her friend with her steel gray eyes. The look frightened Piper, she flinched a little under her intense gaze.

"Don't say her name." Nico growled.

"Get over it Di Angelo." Annabeth snapped. "If it wasn't for her, you won't even see me here sitting in front you."

Nico was about to say something as a comeback, but he was cut off by Piper. "Let's not fight in here shall we? Talk everything out." Her request sounded weak, because sitting with four people who had seen just more than deaths was a fearing thought, they would have the mind to do anything if they were paranoid enough.

"You're the one to say McLean." Piper wanted to snuggle closer to Jason, but she feared that Jason would do something soldier like, and that thought made her more insecure. This was not the Annabeth she knew, it was not the friend she remembered. She couldn't believe how much a person could change by a war. "You forced me to tell them about my past, your forced this personality out of me. I knew my past is nothing fearful compared to theirs, but you kept wanting me to tell them, you kept wanting me to rub it in their face, to show them, to remind them of the bloody war and the bloody vicious battlefields. You think they've not seen enough? You think I haven't seen enough? I've been in war indirectly for 10 years. After I came back, I tried to wipe out my memory of these ten fucking years, but you just have to make me remember every single one of it." Piper stared. She didn't know what to say, or how to respond. The other three boys seemed to be calmer for some reason after listening to Annabeth's out burst. "If Bianca," she glared at Nico, warning him to not say a word about mentioning his dead sister's name, "hadn't die, I don't need to suppress all the feelings and anxiety I have and be a fucking shrink. She told me she wanted to bring all the soldiers that are suffering from the trauma of the Vietnam war out of their agony. She asked me to do that for her, I could've just told her no, and told her that if she would just dodge that bullet everything would be fine, but I didn't, I agreed and promised her that I'd do that. Not because I want to help people overcome their pain while I'm drowning in mine, I only did that because she'd been on my side for long enough for me to consider her as a worthy friend." Annabeth finished her speech by glaring at every single person sitting in front of her.

They all cringed under her piercing gaze, Piper looked away when her eyes land on her. Seeing the reaction from Piper, Annabeth soften her stare. Before this, Percy, Jason and Nico had always thought of Annabeth as another chick that Nico had fucked and a girl friend of Piper's. They never know a woman like her exist. They only know that this warfare ruined their life and their teenage time, the only thing they could to was to spoil themselves, do whatever they want to make up for the youth taken away by the government.

From that day forward, Percy's opinion towards this Annabeth girl had changed. He no longer think of women as a tool, but he started to see the positive aspects in them.

"Hi." One day, he stepped into the cozy looking clinic of Annabeth's, not sure what had gotten into him, he didn't back out the door the moment he saw the title.

"Hi, do you have an appointment with Ms Chase?" The female receptionist asked.

"Uh… No…" Percy stuttered, suddenly aware of the fact that he was actually in her personal clinic.

"Then she won't see you. I'm sorry." The woman said apologetically.

"Oh, okay then." Percy ruffled his own hair dejectedly. "How do I make an appointment?" He turned around suddenly when he was about to push open the door and leave.

"Ms Chase's currently not taking in any new patient." The woman replied diplomatically.

"Oh well…" He stood there awkwardly. "Then, goodbye."

"Bye." The receptionist smiled and waved at him as he pushed open the door.

"Drew, what's taking you so long to send me the files?" A feminine voice, much deeper and steadier than the receptionist's sounded in the waiting room.

Hearing the voice, Percy turned around and went back into the clinic, thinking that he had heard the voice somewhere. Determined to find the owner to the voice. Finding the sound strangely appealing to him, he stepped inside, not caring that he had made a bunch of noises by bumping on to the side of the glass door.

The conversation inside stopped immediately, two women turned and stared at him, both had a the same emotionless face but held different meaning in their eyes. His eyes slightly widened when he saw who the deep voice belonged to.

"You didn't have an appointment I remember." Drew informed.

"You're right I don't." He said strategically, walking away, hoping that Annabeth would recognize him and call him back.

"Percy Jackson." He was lucky that she did.

"Yes Ms Chase." Making his way back onto the platform that Annabeth was standing on.

"Do I have anything scheduled now?" She asked her receptionist. Drew checked the stack of paper on her desk, and shook her head. "Then come with me." She gestured to Percy. "He doesn't need to be recorded." Annabeth told Drew before she led Percy into a private conference room, a room that she rest in, and the only room that she would not allow a patient to visit. "Make yourself at home." She commanded and sat down on her normal seat — a cozy indoor swing chair.

That was the last sentence she had said after entering the room and for the next ten or so minutes, she just stared, stared at Percy and at her surroundings. Nobody talked and no one made a sound. Heck, even no one pulled out their phone and ignore the other's presence.

"Why are you not talking?" After minutes of pacing around, he sat down. "You led me into this room, and told me to make myself at home, but you have said nothing. What are you therapists for? Just sitting there and staring at their patients like animals?" Percy was starting to lose his patience.

Annabeth nodded, observing him with a gentle calm eyes. "Why are you so nervous?" She asked softly, her voice barely missed by him.

"Is that all you've got from ten minutes of silence?"

Annabeth changed a seating position, but made no address to Percy.

"Why are you so anxious?" She tried again, still in the same soft tone.

"Stop asking questions and answer mine." He demanded. Standing up and started pacing around like he'd done when he first got in.

"When I told you to 'make yourself at home', most people would just flop themselves on the sofa, or went for the food on the table, and relax. I knew all of that wouldn't happen on you, because you were a soldier, you are cautious with everything. No matter you are conscripted or not, you were still trained to be like a veteran." She started her analysis slowly and calmly, knowing that her strategy against most patients wouldn't work on him.

"You expected me to lecture you and directly go into your problems, but I didn't, because I want to know more about you. But my many years in Vietnam taught me that you do not talk to a soldier under extreme stress like you talk with normal people, because anything may trigger them into harming you." She paused, to let that sunk into him.

"You kept pacing around and you haven't touched anything in my room yet, I take that you are insecure and scared of being in a room with me or in a closed space. At first I thought it was the latter, because you kept looking at the door and the windows, but then you sat down, and you relaxed, perhaps you have forgotten where you are and what you are doing and have forgotten my presence." She continued, seeing that he had settled down a little. "So I went with the previous option. Maybe it was my outburst yesterday that gave you a very different impression of me, or maybe it was because of yesterday's conversation, you know more about me and hated me more. Nevertheless, you stood up again, remembering what you are doing. I know you don't like the feeling of being trapped, because that's the fear of all soldiers. I fear that too. You still wanted to get out of here, because this place is closed and foreign, it will be hard for you to adjust." She stopped, thinking that there was no need for her to say anything more.

From Percy's demeanors, she knew that he had calmed down, but his mind was telling him that calming down and listening to the order of a lady was not acceptable, so he frowned and spat. "If you know all that, why do you even ask?"

Annabeth remained silence, it was not because she didn't know the answer the the question, but it was because if she answered it, it would mean that she supported Percy's subconsciousness, the one that told him to defiant. She needed the calming and normal part of him to take over the control of his brain, so she shut her mouth.

Percy laid down on the couch next to Annabeth, stretched out his legs and pillowed his head on his folded arms, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.

Time ticked away, just like that. They made quiet short conversations, but all starting with a rude comment from Percy. Annabeth chose to respond according to the situation and mood he was in. Occasional laughters could be heard to ease the tension that would start to build from time to time. When finally Annabeth announced. "You can go now." Although still in her soft gentle voice, the simple words still held its power, Percy felt that there was no negotiation. Reluctantly, he sat up.

"Can I come here tomorrow?" He asked hesitantly, like his mouth had betrayed his mind.

Annabeth nodded, standing up from her chair. Taking her time to stroll to the door.

"Come here for lunch." She said as he walked out of the door she held open for.

"A date?" His traits from the troops surfacing.

"I keep my relationship with my patients professional." She shook her head. Closing the door behind her as she walked him out. It was a first to her, she find this guy in front of her special, thinking that maybe he should have a special treatment.

"This is bullshit. Total bull." Percy rolled his eyes, plopping his arm on his knee in front of him. Not meeting Annabeth's stare.

"It is. I agree. But that's what I do, and apparently people find my bullshitting helps." Annabeth shrugged. That agreement earned her a humorous chuckle from Percy.

Percy had been going to Annabeth's for some time now, he went there every twice a week. Although, this was only between the two of them, Piper had noticed the magnificent change in Percy's attitude towards life. Truth to what Annabeth had predicted, Jason didn't need therapy, he only needed Piper's love, and that was what she had given him.

Every time Percy showed up in Annabeth's room, they talked, about everything that was going on and that had gone. To Percy, his problem were not really resolved to any extent, but he did find himself enjoying each chat with her.

"You said you keep your relationship with your clients professional." He said during one of their luncheons.

"Yes." Annabeth nodded. Dumping her trash into the can by the door, her eyes didn't leave him as she did so.

"But I'm technically not your client nor your patient."

"True."

"So does that mean we can bring this elsewhere?" He asked, this was one of his normal moments.

"No."

"And why's that?"

"Because…" She was about to answer when the door burst open, nearly hitting her in the face. "Jeez." She muttered when she dodged just in time and after the face of the person behind the door came into focus of her eyes.

"Your next appointment is here Miss." Drew announced, Annabeth nodded at her, dismissing her. She noticed her reception's eyes lingered on Percy a little longer before closing the door. She smirked at her retreating figure, but switched to a poker-face when she turned her attention back to Percy.

"Well, our time's up." She declared, opening the door and holding it for him waiting for him to get out.

"Do I get to stay and wait until you finish work?"

"No."

"I'm not your patient, and I'm not your client, I'm a friend of your best friend's." He argued.

"You're not a faculty." She reasoned simply and used her head to gesture him to go out.

He stood up, with a sigh. Packed up his stuff and threw away his trash. When he walked past her by the door, he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "you haven't answer my question yet." Then he sauntered out with a lopsided grin. Annabeth looked stunned for a moment, but recovered quickly. She stepped out, closing the door behind her and spotted Percy walking out of the clinic just after a short exchange of words with her receptionist.

"Have Piper call me tonight." Annabeth said, appearing by the door just after he stepped out. It was one of the very few times that she had walked someone to the door. Giving her receptionist a look, she headed back to her current appointment.

Piper called on behalf of Percy just like Annabeth had asked before he left her clinic today. And the result of the call was an invitation for a sleepover at Piper's house for everyone.

"I'm not the one that suggested this meeting, she did." Piper declared once everyone was gathered at her house, she pointed at Annabeth, and pushed all the responsibilities on her.

"Oh come on Pipes, here I thought you're the host and you're the emotion expert." Annabeth teased, spinning in the chair that she was sitting on. She was particularly in a good mood, which was beneficial to everyone seated in the room currently, because this meant that she wouldn't go all shady on them.

"I thought you're asking me out for a second." Percy said, sitting down on the chair next to her, putting a hand on her thigh that was quickly swatted away by her. Piper gave her a suspicious look but was quickly replied by a sugar coated smile from her. Ignoring Piper's eyes that were darting between her and Percy, and ignoring Percy's comment from earlier, she started to address to the issue that she discovered and propose her solution to it.

"Nico, don't expect you to warm up to me any time soon, in fact, I don't expect you to ever forgive me." She said, looking at Nico who sat right across her.

"Just cut the shit and get to the crap."

"As you wish sir." She replied politely, getting a chuckle from the person next to her, Percy. "I want you to accompany me to an event tomorrow." She requested, her tone formal and serious, it sounded like a demand with no space for negotiation.

Nico pursed his lips, glowering at her, but didn't reject her immediately, he had audiences. Not wanting to take his personal hatred towards her to public, he planned to agree to the arrangement. "Just the two of us?"

"Yes, just us. It doesn't concern any of them here." She answered.

And the next day came very quickly. Annabeth scheduled to meet Nico in Piper's apartment as usual, they hailed a taxi and went to the place Annabeth planned to visit — the cemetery.

"Why are we here?" Nico asked grumpily. He didn't like people, and this cemetery just happened to be crowded by people on this day.

"Because she died on this date." Annabeth replied, respecting him and not mentioned the name of his sister.

"Why do you want me here?"

"I want to show you something."

"Why now?"

"Because this is the time she asked me to do so." Annabeth bent down, took out a shovel out of her bag and started to dig. She didn't have to dug down deep to find what she wanted. A letter.

"It's addressed to you. Read it."

Nico stuck out a shaky hand and took the letter from her, he examined the front and the back of the envelope, but made no action in opening it. Annabeth understood that he didn't want to open it in public, because he didn't want to show emotions, so she only assigned herself the mission of taking him to the graveyard and handing him the letter. Her job wasn't to make sure he had read it.


	3. End

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites. As a reader requested, I added some details to the story. Hope you liked it.**

 **Sad news though, this is the last chapter of this short story.**

 **Also, sorry about the failed display of line breaks in previous chapters, I hope it appears here, because I've changed a kind.**

* * *

Today was Percy's last appointment with Annabeth, but he felt like he had just gotten to know her.

"Annabeth?" He asked when she announced that their session was done as usual. She blinked and looked at him. He was still in his usual spot, but this time, instead of him standing at the door ready to leave, she was standing in front of her chair looking down at him, halting at whatever she was about to do.

"Please do continue speaking." She said after a while of waiting for him to continue, she was still patient.

"Am I allowed to come here at anytime I want in the future?"

"Why do you want to come back here?" She asked, cocking her head sideways, really curious, because he was the first person to ever say that.

"Because I want to see you."

"If that's the reason, then no."

"Then what about, I still want your help."

"Percy, you're no outsider, and you know about my history just as I know about your past. I am no help." She sighed, her own personal thoughts invading her rational and professional ones.

Percy stood there looking shocked, it wasn't normal for him to hear a dark comment coming out of the mouth of a therapist at work. He had seen all sides of her from outside of work via Piper, but she had never acted unprofessional in the clinic.

"You were never my patient formally anyways." Annabeth added. "So I guess you are not allowed to see me at work unless you have an appointment, in which I really wish you'd never consider booking. But, you are always welcomed to see me outside of work, during my leisure time." She said in conclusion.

He nodded in understanding of her words and reopened the closed door, before he closed it, he poked his head in. "You're a lot of help to me Beth." He said softly, but was audible. Before Annabeth could reply and recover from the nickname, the door clicked shut and she was alone in the lounge once again.

Ω¢Ω

"What have you done to Nico that day Annabeth?" Piper dragged her into the house when she got off work and headed to her friend's house for the first time after she took Nico to retrieve the letter. She was taken aback by the action of her best friend, but also touched by the worry in her voice.

"I've done nothing to him, I've only done my duty." Annabeth replied smoothly and calmly.

"He has been telling us stories of Bianca and even mentioned you." Piper gushed on.

"Tell me about Bianca." Annabeth demanded. "Wait," she interrupted Piper when she registered the second part of the statement. "What has he said about me?" Annabeth was suddenly alerted, because her secret and her past with Nico was not something that she'd prefer to go public, not even amongst her friends. She knew that Jason and Percy were well aware of their affair back in Vietnam, but they kept their mouth shut about it. Their secret affair would only happen once in a life time, and it was something neither of them were proud of, let along talking about it as an anecdote. She narrowed her eyes at Piper dangerously, not wanting to see the expression of 'I know something that you don't' on her face. "Tell me." She demanded.

"Why do you care about it so much all of a sudden, I thought you never get along with him, especially with the death of his sister." Piper taunted. "I seriously doubt your intentions in asking him out the other day." She continued to tease as she picked on the flowers in front of her on the kitchen counter absentmindedly.

"I am not, I don't even care about him. Never did and never will. Just tell me what he said and I will answer your question about Percy." She negotiated and taking a step back. Remembering the unanswered question on the changes with Percy that Piper had asked her a few days back, before she had brought Nico to the letters. Not wanting to reveal the rendezvous in her clinic during lunch time, she refused to answer the question, and pretended to not notice the change in the boy.

"Deal." Piper confirmed in a heart beat. "So you do know about Percy."

"Not the point." Annabeth once again, averted the topic and changed to the subject that she wanted to talk about. "Now, tell me, what had Nico spill?"

"What have I spill?" Nico swayed into the room just in time for Piper to talk, Annabeth was so ready to bump her head in to the wall next to her at the moment.

"Speaking of the devil." Annabeth muttered to herself as she heard Piper said, "you arrived just in time."

"What are you two talking about?" He asked, approaching Annabeth and slung an arm over her shoulder playfully. "What does this beautiful young lady want?" He turned to Piper, still asking for the same answer. Annabeth rolled her eyes and shrugged his arm off.

"Piper, excuse us." Annabeth requested a private moment with Nico away from Piper and outside of the house. After excusing themselves from Piper, she dragged him to the back garden of Piper's house. Stopping at the corner of the garden, in a very hidden place under a tree, she demanded Nico for an explanation of his behavior.

"I read the letter after I got home." He started to explain. It was very easy to get information out of him, and the easiness surprised Annabeth more than the confession afterwards.

"And?" She let him continued.

"She had told me that she'd die on the battlefield and predicted that I would blame you for it, so she had asked me not to put any blame on you. She explained that if you two were to be surrounded by enemies with no soldiers around to protect, you'd be the one to protect her, because you're the only one in the two of you that knows how to fire a gun properly."

"I am experienced with guns." She admitted blandly.

"So, I'm sorry that I blamed you and took out all my anger that should be aimed at Luke on you." He apologized. "I know you're doing your best to put on a smile for all the patients you have, Percy has speak highly of you."

Annabeth was first shocked by his apologies, and before she could tell him that she accepted it, he shocked him with the second statement involving Percy.

"Apologies accepted, and I will ignore the last part of the sentence that you said, because I really don't have anything to say about that. I asked to speak privately with you not because I want to hear about the letter, I only wanted to know what have you told Piper after getting back that day. Because I remember that you went back yourself and I walked around the cemetery alone for a while before heading straight back to my own apartment."

"I didn't tell them about our secret affair." He paused dramatically, making Annabeth fear of what might come next. "It should be kept private and it should never be mentioned again."

"Good to know that we held the same opinion on this. So we're still on the same page." She nodded slowly, letting out a relieved sigh.

"We were forced. We didn't have a choice didn't we?" He asked a rhetorical question and continued. "You know that I'm gay, and you know who I have laid eyes on before I left, because I told you about him once." Annabeth nodded slowly, trying to recall their conversation, and gradually, pieces of jigsaws of memories came back into her mind, and eventually, the outline of their conversation was clear.

When Annabeth stepped in, Piper was just in time to meet her at the doorstep of the garden. The next thing Annabeth knew was the fact that she wouldn't be let back in to the house for a while, because it seemed like to her, that everyone in the world was trying to talk to her privately in that back yard.

"Can I please speak to you alone?" Piper asked, mainly towards Nico to dismiss him. So before Annabeth could have the chance to answer, upon receiving Nico's nod, Piper pushed her friend down the steps.

"What now?" Annabeth asked, a bit annoyed.

"What about Bianca? How did you get to know Percy, Jason and Nico." She inquired, like a cop asking a criminal.

"I met Jason first, we met coincidentally at a bar again and he introduced me to the other two." Annabeth replied, simplifying everything, and filtering out every detail.

"What's with you and Nico? I have a feeling that between you two, it's not just over the death of his sister, there's something else." Piper asked, only curious at first.

Annabeth stared back, not sure how to put her words and phrase a response that would sound convincing but also without giving out much. "I, do admit," she said slowly, not meeting her friend's eyes and not intending to keep the conversation going, "that, there's more between Nico and I, but that's also something we'd like to keep it between ourselves and not share with others." She explained, hoping Piper would drop the topic.

"Not even to families?" Piper had her last attempt, and would give up if necessary, for now.

"Not even to families."

"Then what really happened to Bianca?" She asked. This question had been stuck in her mind for a very long time, but she had just remembered to ask.

"She was killed on a mission." Annabeth replied simply, really wanting to end the talk.

"You're going to have to tell me this sooner or later." Piper changed her attitude suddenly.

"Why?" Annabeth was out of patience, her tone was harsher than she intended, but she didn't regret using it at the moment. "You already know enough. We don't like to dig up the past, it's history, it's over, it's done, just forget it." She said sternly. "What happened to Bianca is nothing of your concern, we've told you enough. I don't want to talk about it nor do I want to remember it. The scene will forever be engraved in my mind, don't you think that punishment is enough?" She raised her voice, getting emotional with every word coming out of her mouth, her eyes reddened. "Nico didn't want to bring it up, neither do I. The version you know might not be the whole truth, but it's exactly what happened."

Ω¢Ω

Annabeth had spent more time in Piper's house ever since the twist in her friendship with Nico. She had showed up in their front doors more, giving the reasons that due to the decrease in her work load, she wanted to catch up with her best friend, however, deep down, somewhere where she didn't want to acknowledge, told her that catching up wasn't the only reason. She wasn't only there to see Piper, she was also there to see if the boys, Percy in particular, were there.

She had built a special friendship with the ex-army soldier. The young man had valued their special bond deeply, although his way of showing it might be different from what normal people would expect, but with a traumatized past, it was good enough for him to stay positive everyday.

"Now that you claimed to have less work in the clinic, will you spare a night for me?" Percy once cornered her in Piper's attic, just to ask her out. He had never stopped with his attempts in getting Annabeth's attention, and he unconsciously had done everything he could to be closer to her.

"I thought you ain't a fan of shrinks." She didn't protest when he stepped closer to her, really caging her against the closed door of the attic.

"And I thought you ain't a shrink." He smiled, brushing her nose with his.

"Then why have you visited me?" She pulled her face out of his reach instinctively. It was her natural reaction towards affection.

"You asked me to." He replied, taking a strand of her hair and locking it behind her ear.

"You said I'm not a shrink." She reasoned, knowing that their pointless conversation would lead to nowhere, but for some reason, she just wanted to prolong the time she had alone with him.

"Who said I went to see a shrink."

"You went to a clinic."

"Can't I have a friend that works in a clinic?"

"You sure as hell didn't treat me like a friend, but you did treat my receptionist well."

"Drew? She only likes my face darling."

"Oh and how can you be sure that I even like you?"

"Seeing you every once in a while taught me that you are attracted to me after all. I've told you, you've been really helpful for me." He whispered the last part, because he was now extremely close to her. The back of her head was pressed against the wooden material and his lips were now brushing hers, hovering above.

"And do you think I will spare time for you just by your mere observation?" She blinked slowly and whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, I am sure." He placed his lips on hers hesitantly, as he whispered back huskily. Closing his eyes to savor the moment of when his lips fully touched hers, he found himself unable to think. His mind went blank and when he felt that her lips pursed up to meet his, he knew that she was enjoying too. With that encouragement, he thought he would be disarming her just like she had done to him.

Ω¢Ω

Piper and Jason's home had became a constant meeting place for the veterans. They sat there with icy cold beers in their hands, spreading themselves out on the floor in front of the closed TV. Piper had always find them unbelievably uncivilized, because even Annabeth was somewhat a fan of beer.

"Stop giving me that kind of look, Piper." Annabeth scowled at her best friend. "After all, they're all healed."

"Without your help." Her friend answered with a huff.

"Yes, without my help." She rolled her eyes. "It's all your work." She let out a sigh, taking a sip from her bottle.

"I beg to differ." Percy threw his arms over the back of her chair. "I said you're a lot of help." He said to Piper, giving Annabeth a look afterwards.

With a scornful smile, she finished her bottle of beer and stood up to put it aside. Walking out of the living room, she stepped in to the back yard. Pulling out a cigaret. Lately, especially since Bianca's death, starting in Vietnam, she found smoking a great method to relief stress.

She took out one and lit it, but before she could take a second smoke, her smoke was suddenly been taken out of her grasp. She turned to the person that took away her cigaret and scowled.

"Quit it, it's gonna ruin you." The person whispered in her ear, making her shiver at the feeling due to his closeness to her body.

"I could ask you to do the same Jackson." She threw the cigaret on the floor from Percy's hand and stomped on it. "Why do you care?" She asked after kicking the roll away, dusting away the ashes on her cloth.

"What really happened between you and Nico?" He inquired.

"Nothing, nothing happened between us." She shrugged and shook her head, having an eerie feeling about the direction of the conversation.

"Where did you take Nico on that day?" He continued to ask questions, wanting to pry out some stuff from her, because he couldn't get any detail from his friend.

"To the cemetery." She kept her answers short.

"Why?"

"The anniversary of his sister's death." Still the short reply treatment.

"And?"

"What and? There's no and." She wanted to end the conversation desperately, because she didn't want to spill the beans about her secret affair with Nico.

"What happened in the attic that day?" He whispered, changing his tactic.

"I don't know." The thought made her shudder all of a sudden, for some reason, she wasn't in the mood to think about affection and the chemistry between her and Percy. The attic incident made her think back to Vietnam.

 _In a bar near the headquarters, it was where all off-duty Americans gathered. From high-ranked soldiers to generals and commanders; from high-ranked nurses to journalists. All people from the United State that was called to the battlefield was summoned without any previous consultant._

 _On two barstools at the corner, of the noisy club, two journalists were spotted sipping from two bottles of beer. One of the them had a cigaret in their hand, but none of them seemed to be interested in dressing up and making an effort to socialize. From their facial expression, it seemed like they were not talking about something serious, yet not something they'd like to share, they looked like they were enjoying themselves alone._

 _"You promised me." The brunette whined._

 _"I never promised when." The blonde retorted, flipping her hair feigning a proud demeanor._

 _"Fine, then what's happening between you and Luke?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. "C'mon Annabeth." The brunette begged when the blonde, Annabeth, didn't answer._

 _"What are you talking about?" Annabeth said after a while of contemplating for an answer._

 _"I saw you," the brunette said mysteriously, wanting to pry out everything from the blonde. "Going with Luke after hours." She said smugly, as if it was something that she wasn't supposed to know._

 _Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Bianca," she started in a very serious and stern tone. "If you insist. If you must make me tell, I will." The blonde said, irked. "But whatever you'll hear from me, keep the comments to yourself." She warned._

 _"Why?" Bianca questioned, suddenly turning serious, as if she had poked the wrong button. "I'm sorry if I struck on a sensitive subject."_

 _"It's fine," Annabeth dismissed it softly. "Nothing happened between me and Luke that night, and there might be a slight chemistry between us, but it's soon gone. I went with him to meet someone, your brother to be precise." She paused, waiting to see Bianca's reaction. But she remained emotionless like Annabeth had asked, so she continued. "Nico's a friend of Jason's, whom we've met a few days ago. Then everything was bizarre to me, I don't know why Luke brought me there, there's only Nico, Jason, Percy and Luke, plus me, in a dark room with shots."_

 _"So you got drunk." Bianca urged her to continue._

 _"Yes, naturally, because that's the most suitable way to get them to tell me more about the insight of a soldier's life." Annabeth explained. "Then everything just happened so quickly, they dared Nico to prove that he's not homosexual, because Nico keeps denying the fact afraid that people would tease him about it. So they dared him to seduce me."_

 _"And you let them seduce you?" Bianca asked bewildered._

 _"I was drunk as fuck." She defended herself, "I have not a single idea of what's going on, just felt like it wasn't a bad idea to have a fuck, they're not bad people after all."_

 _Few days later, just after Bianca possessed the information of her working partner's affair with her brother, an accident happened to her._

 _She went on to the field with Bianca to update on their information and knowledge of the war. Luke followed them with a machine gun in hand, he was the assigned protector of the two journalists. Annabeth herself had a gun tucked in her belt for emergency._

 _It was very hard to recall the details of the event, all she could clearly remember was the bullet that came right in front of her face, in which she moved aside just in time. Surprised by her reflex, she didn't let her mind linger on the shock, turning back to where the bullet came from, she fired her hand gun. Luke was nowhere to be seen as Annabeth saw a few enemy fall on their ass with bullet wounds oozing out blood._

 _Once the threat was gone with the backup coming from all directions, Annabeth turned around to find Bianca lying on the floor motionless. She had been shot in the head by the first bullet that Annabeth dodged like a miracle. Annabeth was too busy shooting people to find her unconscious partner, and when she found her, she was already dead. Luke appeared to carry Bianca away, to where Annabeth followed._

 _She stayed next to her bed the entire night. Holding her hand, recalling the last conversation they had. She remembered her last words._

 _"Annabeth, if I ever die on a mission, I want you to give my brother this on the first year anniversary of my death, Nico will find it necessary. I also want you to promise me that you'd put your psychology talent to good use, I want you to help the traumatized soldiers recover."_

Ω¢Ω

"You do know that sometimes when you are physically devoted to someone, you might not be psychologically, mentally or emotionally devoted to that person right?"

"I do know that, and your point is? Miss Chase?"

"My point is that, Mr Jackson, this theory work in both ways."

"Are you suggesting that I'm not fully devoted to you? Or are you suggesting that you're not fully devoted to this relationship."

"I am devoted to you, but I still have doubts about this relationship."

"Why?"

"Because we don't exactly fit, especially our past."

"I don't see a problem."

"Because we have been through so much at such a young age, we no longer care about the outside, we only guard our heart and not our flesh. Am I right?" He nodded. "So that's what they say,

 _You can have my body, but you can't have me._ "

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Before I say farewell from this story, I have one last request, and that is- please, please, please, can someone, write a review/comment for the M-Rated story _Love Can Be Frightening_ , I don't deny that the smut scene might not be as good, but the story line is better and I think it's great (at least I think so).**


End file.
